Holy Wisdom Blog

Back in the late 80s – yes, I am really old – I began a nearly three decades long involvement in a domestic and overseas service program called Volunteers in Mission or VIM. My very first experience was international, with an indigenous congregation in a small Panamanian frontier coastal town near the Costa Rican border. It was a dingy, dirty port town. I recall that we were warned not to swim at the beach which was polluted and littered with garbage and waste. We were a team of about twenty and we lived with various members of the congregation and …

I hope you also delight in hearing the readings from Acts and John during this post-Resurrection season. Last week we heard the powerful story of Saul’s conversion – from murderous antipathy of Jesus’ followers, to Paul, of belief and bold proclamation. And today, this passage with Peter restoring life to a woman shepherd, a “pastor” beloved by her community. These readings dispel my impatience with Peter – in the Gospels always jostling to be closest to Jesus; and his attestations of loyalty – that collapse into betrayal, at the worst possible moment. In last Sunday’s Gospel, Post – resurrection Peter …

John 19: 25-27 ‘Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.’ In Montauk, New York there is a collection of sculptures by German artist Suse Lowenstein. The sculptures represent mothers, sisters, spouses, and relatives of the 259 people …